Pet Peeve

July 8, 1985

MOSCOW — Oh where, oh where can that little dog be? Oh where, oh were can he be? Answer in Moscow: In somebody's fur hat, coat or other garment. Moscow pet owners earn extra income by turning their cats and dogs into fur clothing, the Soviet newspaper Trud reported. A law prohibiting the skinning of pets is weak and poorly enforced, and there are no laws specifically banning cruelty to animals, state inspector Yuri Schvedov complained. The fine for skinning a pet is only $12, but owners can make hundreds of dollars selling furs illegally, he said. Schvedov: ''The customer hurries to the market to buy a hat made of collie, sheepdog, husky or mongrel that suits him . . . and public opinion is silent.''